|
Dear John,
As part of our new series on the lives and ideas of women who helped shape the free and prosperous societies we enjoy today, a new essay examines the key insights of Jane Jacobs, an activist who helped shape how we think about cities, neighbourhoods and the field of urban planning.
Born in Pennsylvania in 1916, as a teenager Jacobs moved to New York City where she spent more than three decades writing about cities and urban planning. As an activist, Jacobs often clashed with city planners.
When city planners declared that certain areas – including her own neighbourhood – were slums, Jacobs refuted their plans by documenting how cities thrived based on natural interactions and exchanges among their inhabitants, and conversely, how cities declined because of central urban planning efforts.
Her efforts paid off, and her 1961 book The Death and Life of Great American Cities helped change urban planning. Learn more about her work and life by checking out the brand new essay here!
Stay safe,
Niels Veldhuis
President
The Fraser Institute
|
